An endophytic isolate identified as Diaporthe sp. was explored for its biosorption and biodegradation potential on triphenylmethane (TPM) dyes. Treatment with live cells demonstrated strong decolorization activities towards methyl violet (MV, 100 mg L⁻¹), crystal violet (CV, 100 mg L⁻¹), and malachite green (MG, 50 mg L⁻¹), with 84.87, 78.81, and 87.80 %, respectively. These values are far greater than decolorization by dead cells via biosorption (DE% of 18.82–48.32 %). The absence of peaks in the UV-vis spectra after 14 days further suggested degradation of dye chromophores. Results revealed that Diaporthe sp. removed TPM dyes through biodegradation and biosorption, with the former as a more desirable mechanism due to its ability to degrade most dye chromophore and enhance decolorization efficiency, and as a mechanism to tolerate toxic MG. As such, application of live cells of Diaporthe sp. is advantageous as it allows biodegradation to occur.

Dairy cows are responsible for significant emissions of enteric methane (CH₄) and produce nitrous oxide (N₂O) and ammonia (NH₃) gas from manure. As an abatement strategy, we explored the effects of long-term condensed tannin (Quebracho and chestnut extracts) addition to dairy cow diets. Previous studies have demonstrated that tannins in cow diets reduce methane and ammonia efflux, but none have done so over a >1-month time period. A modified stanchion barn equipped with gas analysis instrumentation measured CH₄, N₂O, and NH₃ fluxes into and from the barn, at the onset of the experiment, and 45 and 90 days after feeding groups of lactating dairy cows a control diet or two levels of tannin extract at 0.45 and 1.8 % of dietary dry matter. Few statistical differences among treatments were observed, likely a consequence of high variability and low sample size necessary for conducting a study of this duration. However, on a per-cow basis, low and high tannin diets lowered CH₄ emissions by 56 g cow⁻¹ day⁻¹ and by 48 g cow day⁻¹, respectively. Diet tannin additions lowered CH₄ (33 %), NH₃ (23 %), and N₂O (70 %) per unit milk corrected emissions in the high tannin treatment compared to the control at the end of the experiment, without significant loss in milk production. These results suggest that relatively low concentrations of diet tannin additions can reduce ruminant CH₄ and gaseous N emissions from manure. The tannin effect observed after 90 days is a starting point for considering tannin additions as a potential long-term strategy for improving the environmental footprint of milk production.

This study evaluated the resistance to wind erosion of a consolidated soil layer (CSL) using an indoor wind tunnel under simulated wind erosion conditions. The CSL consisted of the experimental soil (classified as a sandy soil), fly ash (FA) at two addition rates (10 and 20 % (w/w) soil), and polyacrylamide (PAM) at two addition rates (0.05 and 0.1 % (w/w) soil). Prior to the wind tunnel experiments, according to the different addition rates of FA and PAM, the sandy soil, FA, and PAM were homogeneously mixed by spraying an appropriate amount of deionized water to form different CSLs. The moisture content of the CSL was balanced to that of the sandy soil in the field. The threshold wind speeds and wind erosion amounts of different CSLs at two wind speeds of 8 and 14 m/s were measured, respectively. The results showed that the threshold wind speed of the sandy soil was significantly increased due to the formation of CSL by FA and PAM, exhibiting an increasing trend with increasing addition rate of FA and PAM. The wind erosion amounts of different CSLs were all decreased when compared with that of the sandy soil. The resistance to wind erosion of the CSL consisting of 10 % FA and 0.1 % PAM was strongest at a wind speed of 8 m/s, while only slight wind erosion occurred after 30-min exposure to the wind with a speed of 14 m/s.

Lignite (PK), bituminous (FI) and biomass (SE) fly ashes (FAs) were mineralogically and geochemically characterised, and their element leachability was studied with batch leaching tests. The potential for acid neutralisation (ANP) was quantified by their buffering capacity, reflecting their potential for neutralisation of acid mine drainage. Quartz was the common mineral in FAs detected by XRD with iron oxide, anhydrite, and magnesioferrite in PK, mullite and lime in FI, and calcite and anorthite in SE. All the FAs had high contents of major elements such as Fe, Si, Al and Ca. The Ca content in SE was six and eight times higher compared to PK and FI, respectively. Sulphur content in PK and SE was one magnitude higher than FI. Iron concentrations were higher in PK. The trace element concentrations varied between the FAs. SE had the highest ANP (corresponding to 275 kg CaCO₃ tonne⁻¹) which was 15 and 10 times higher than PK and FI, respectively. The concentrations of Ca²⁺, SO₄²⁻, Na⁺ and Cl⁻ in the leachates were much higher compared to other elements from all FA samples. Iron, Cu and Hg were not detected in any of the FA leachates because of their mild to strong alkaline nature with pH ranging from 9 to 13. Potassium leached in much higher quantity from SE than from the other ashes. Arsenic, Mn and Ni leached from PK only, while Co and Pb from SE only. The concentrations of Zn were higher in the leachates from SE. The FAs used in this study have strong potential for the neutralisation of AMD due to their alkaline nature. However, on the other hand, FAs must be further investigated, with scaled-up experiments before full-scale application, because they might leach pronounced concentrations of elements of concern with decreasing pH while neutralising AMD.

Reactive extraction of phenol (0.053 mol kg⁻¹) from aqueous solution is carried out using two aminic extractants, trioctylmethylammoniumchloride (TOMAC) and trioctylamine (TOA) considering four concentrations (0.023 to 0.091 mol kg⁻¹) and dissolving them in solvents like nonane and isoamyl alcohol (IAA) at 298 K. The effects of extract type (TOMAC and TOA), their concentrations, and type of diluent on the separation efficiency of extraction have been determined. Data show that the neutral phenol molecule is more effectively extracted by TOA than TOMAC into the organic phase. Increase in the extractant concentration from 0.023 to 0.091 mol kg⁻¹ obviously enhances the recovery of phenol (2.3 times with nonane + TOMAC or TOA; 2.97 times with IAA + TOMAC; and 4.83 times with IAA + TOA). The equilibrium extraction results are presented in terms of distribution coefficient (D), degree of extraction (%E), and loading ratio (Z). Maximum value of D (=12.25) is obtained with TOA + IAA (0.091 mol kg⁻¹) which could extract 92.45 % of phenol from the water phase. A suitable mathematical model for the determination of equilibrium D is expressed by employing the mass action law. The equilibrium constant (K E) and the stoichiometric coefficient (n) of extraction are determined graphically. Also, the individual equilibrium constants (K ₁₁, K ₂₁, and K ₁₂) for the phenol-extractant complexes formed are estimated from the regression of the experimental values. The better extraction power of the TOA + IAA extract system is also shown from the estimated value of complexation constant (K E = 164.44). Phenol molecules form 1:1 and 2:1 and 1:1 and 1:2 solvates with nonane and IAA, respectively, with both the extractants.

China is experiencing serious acid rain contamination, with Beijing among the worst-hit areas. To understand the chemical feature and the origin of inorganic ions in precipitation of Beijing, 128 precipitation samples were collected and analyzed for major water-soluble ions and δ³⁴S. The pH values ranged from 3.68 to 7.81 and showed a volume weighted average value (VWA) of 5.02, with a frequency of acid rain of 26.8 %. The VWA value of electrical conductivity (EC) was 68.6 μS/cm, which was nearly 4 times higher than the background value of northern China. Ca²⁺ represented the main cation; SO₄²⁻ and NO₃⁻ were the dominant anion in precipitation. Our study showed that SO₄²⁻ and NO₃⁻ originated from coal and fossil fuel combustion; Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, and K⁺ were from the continental sources. The δ³⁴S value of SO₄²⁻ in precipitation ranged from +2.1 to +12.8‰ with an average value of +4.7‰. The δ³⁴S value showed a winter maximum and a summer minimum tendency, which was mainly associated with temperature-dependent isotope equilibrium fractionation as well as combustion of coal with relatively positive δ³⁴S values in winter. Moreover, the δ³⁴S values revealed that atmospheric sulfur in Beijing are mainly correlated to coal burning and traffic emission; coal combustion constituted a significant fraction of the SO₄²⁻ in winter precipitation.

This study investigated the phytoremediation potential of Plantago major L. to remediate lead (Pb) contaminated water and soil. Results of this investigation indicated that P. major L. roots exhibit a significant increase in Pb uptake relative to P. major leaves from polluted water and soil. In polluted water (40 mg/L Pb), P. major showed unusually high concentrations of Pb in their roots (9284.66 mg/kg) within 25 days as the rhizofiltration suggesting that an exclusion strategy for metal tolerance exist widely in him. In soil, P. major has the potential for phytostabilization. In Pb-contaminated soil at 20 mg/kg, P. major roots efficiently accumulated Pb (50.53 mg/kg and 77.12 mg/kg) after 10 and 20 days, respectively. Pb was taken up by P. major leaves to a lesser extent than the roots (13.87 mg/kg and 30.4 mg/kg) after 10 and 20 days, respectively. The results suggest that P. major may be considered a bioaccumulator species for Pb and can be used as a bioindicator of pollution with lead.

Onsite wastewater treatment systems (OWTSs) are commonly used to treat domestic wastewater in the Dickinson Bayou watershed, located between Houston and Galveston. The Dickinson Bayou is classified as “impaired” by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality due to high levels of indicator bacterium, Escherichia coli. Failing OWTSs in the watershed are possible sources for the impairment of the bayou. Nearly all of the watershed is at risk to failing OWTSs due to high water table and clay content in the soil. The HYDRUS modeling software for water and solute flow through variably saturated media was used to simulate the performance of (1) conventional OWTSs, (2) aerobic treatment units (ATUs) with spray distribution, and (3) mounded OWTSs under conditions indicative of the Dickinson Bayou watershed. The purpose of the study was to simulate system performance under existing conditions. Simulation results indicated that both the conventional and ATU systems fail due to effluent ponding and E. coli transport to the land surface due to high water tables and clay soils in the watershed. Simulations indicated that conventional and ATU systems failed when rainfall intensity was greater than 0.25 cm/h. However, the model simulations indicate mound systems did not fail under existing conditions as they did not allow E. coli to reach the surface or ponding to occur. Consequently, mound systems can be considered as better systems in this watershed to minimize bacterial loadings.

The potential for atmospheric deposition of sulfur and nitrogen to affect lakes in the Northwestern USA to cause lake acidification was assessed by examining four lakes extending from southern Oregon into the central Washington Cascades. The four lakes were dilute (conductivity 2.2 to 3.6 μS/cm), low ANC (−3 to 11 μeq/L) systems, located in subalpine to alpine settings in designated wilderness areas. The four lakes were cored, dated with ²¹⁰Pb and ¹⁴C, and analyzed for sediment nutrients and diatom remains. Diatom-inferred changes in chemistry were made possible through an earlier project to create a diatom calibration set for the Cascades. The three southern lakes exhibited volcanic inputs of ash or tephra, but diatom stratigraphy generally showed only modest responses to these events. None of the lakes exhibited any recent trends in diatom-inferred pH. The most significant finding with respect to paleolimnology was that Foehn Lake, WA, was formed in the twentieth century (1930 ± 7 years), likely as a result of melting of an adjacent snowfield. Current deposition was estimated using the AIRPACT-3 system, and lake chemistry was simulated using the CE-QUAL-W2 hydrodynamic model that had been modified to represent acid-base chemistry. The model simulations showed that the three southern lakes in the transect were insensitive to increases of nitrogen and sulfur until simulated increases reached 300% of current levels. Foehn Lake showed simulated declines of pH and ANC beginning at 50% increases over current deposition of S and N. The three southern lakes are resistant to changes from atmospheric deposition and other disturbances because of long hydraulic residence times, allowing internal processes to neutralize acidic inputs.

In the last years, several scientific studies have shown that carbamazepine (CBZ) is one of the most frequently detected pharmaceutical in aquatic environment. However, little data is available on its detection and its transformation products (TPs) in marine water. The use of polar organic chemical integrative sampling (POCIS) passive samplers as a semi-quantitative and qualitative tool for screening of pharmaceuticals and TPs in seawater has been studied. Furthermore, the uptake rates of the target compounds were also determined under laboratory experiments to characterize the levels accumulated in devices. The results confirmed the presence of residues of anticonvulsant CBZ as well as some of its main metabolites, over a 1-year monitoring campaign carried out in French coast on the Mediterranean Sea. The work reports for the first time the presence of two TPs (10,11-dihydro-10,11-trans-dihydroxycarbamazepine (TRANS) and 10-hydroxy-10,11-dihydrocarbamazepine (10OH)) in marine water. The results contribute in assessing the environmental and human health risk of pharmaceuticals on coastal areas.